All That Remains - Madness (2017)^{Release ID: 5442}

For nearly 20 years, All That Remains has worked real hard to engrave their name into the hearts of metalheads. And it all started right after vocalist Phil Labonte left metal titans Shadows Fall and rose like a phoenix to make his own band. After their 2002 melodeath debut album, their next 6 albums show them slowly moving out of melodeath to a metalcore sound that is original but sounds like a hybrid of Hatebreed and The Devil Wears Prada, and throwing in some hard rock/heavy metal elements that end up making them sound like a mix of Story of the Year and Five Finger Death Punch. The hard rock/heavy metal elements are perhaps the most prominent in this album. You know what it is? This is Madness! With an unstoppable crazy train of beautiful heaviness faster than Leonidas can say "THIS IS SPARTA!!!"

The band's 2017 album Madness has production done by Grammy-winning producer Howard Benson, known for his huge heavy production range from Brazilian metal legends Sepultura to the first American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson. That might be a good explanation for this album's influences ranging back and forth from extreme metal to pop rock. The band consisting of Phil Labonte (vocals), Oli Herbert and Mike Martin (both guitars), Aaron Patrick (new guy on the bass), and Jason Costa (drums) have produced an eclectic offering of songs with reflective music and lyrics that they like to write and are prepared for the incoming criticism it might cause.

Madness begins with one of its heaviest tracks, "Safe House", filled with punishing bass and thrashing drums and a taunting chorus. Atmospheric keyboards make this song sound like something Rob Zombie would use for a horror flick, and there is a drilling dueling guitar solo before a slower sludgy final chorus. The title track is a heavy groove song that was a good choice for a single. The political lyrics are somewhat repetitive, but the rest of the song is pure heavy metal madness!! The immense sonic sound of "Nothing I Can Do" a thrashy metalcore song that stands out with pulsating bass and drums, along with layered vocal harmonies in an infectious chorus.

Then things seem to curve around with "If I'm Honest" with a more of alternative/country/Christian rock sound that has Creed ballad vibes. Not bad, but unexpected. This soft ballad is a nice break from the band's more extreme nature. We now return to the heavy sound of pulverizing bass and infectious drumming with "Halo", an atmospheric addictive anthem for those who want to live their own life and not be told what next move to make. Things get louder with the next song "Louder", an overpowering track that motivates you to not let anything overpower who you are.

The emotional, more tender "River City" starts off acoustic before kicking in with layering harmonies and pulsating rhythms. "Open Grave" has some hard-hitting growls and catchy melodies. Back to the tender side again, "Far From Home" is another catchy alternative/country/Christian rock ballad, a better song for the faint of heart. "Trust and Believe" has some more heavy bass-lines and growling vocals. During the intro and part of the first verse, I thought it was their first album Behind Silence and Solitude because of the melodeath riffs, growling vocals, and (drop?) B tuning, but then I thought, "No, this is Madness, not Silence and Solitude! Gotta remember that." Then there's the bizarre acoustic ballad "Back to You" filled with strings and bells. "Never Sorry" is another one of the album's heaviest tracks, mixing synth and growls. And finally, a cover of "The Thunder Rolls" by country singer Garth Brooks, with soaring guitar work and Labonte singing some beautiful ethereal vocals together with Diamante Azzura.

Madness is a good album, but not very awesome due to the album being the farthest from their original metalcore roots. It has some more thrashy elements that go well with the band's heavier side, including crushing bass and pulsating drums, yet throwing in some infectious catchy choruses and atmospheric melodies that make the band sound like radio-friendly Skillet-like Christian hard rock. While not at all the band's best album, it sure has some of their greater moments!

Favorites: "Safe House", "Madness", "Nothing I Can Do", "Halo", "Louder", "River City", "Trust and Believe", "Never Sorry", "The Thunder Rolls"